The iconic Indian cricketer, as a genius in himself, especially marking his form in the Indian Premier League, KL Rahul, has been released from his old franchise, the Lucknow Super Giants.
Earlier, reports suggested that LSG management was not looking to retain KL Rahul. Rahul also went on to deny being further associated with the franchise.
As per the retentions made by the Lucknow Super Giants, they have retained Nicholas Pooran for a huge INR 21 crore while also spending a surpassing sum of money on other players, including Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, and the two uncapped players Ayush Badoni and Mohsin Khan.
Top franchises who might target KL Rahul in the mega-auction
1. Gujarat Titans
Though Rahul has been released by the Lucknow Super Giants, any franchise in the quest for a top-notch opening player would still be in the hunt for a batter like KL Rahul. The Gujarat Titans have for long been in the hunt for an opener alongside Shubman Gill.
Rahul would bring alongside him an additional role of wicketkeeper, which would add great hope to the Gujarat Titans side. An experienced campaigner like Rahul, if handed the captaincy, would take a huge burden from Shubman Gill.
2. Punjab Kings
KL Rahul played his best seasons in the history of the IPL from 2018 to 2021. He ended as their highest run-getter over multiple seasons.
Rahul might be travelling back to his old team even if they need to pay a whopping bid for him, as PBKS are looking to reinforce a squad and are also in the hunt for a new skipper with Dhawan being retired from the tournament. The team with the biggest mega-auction purse of 110.5 crores will target the veteran batter.
3. Royal Challengers Bangalore
Though RCB have let gone their skipper Faf du Plessis, RCB still remains in the quest for an opener and also a wicketkeeper since DK has retired from the role. However, their need for a skipper has come to an end with Kohli reprising himself in the role of skipper.
Rahul can be the ideal choice to end their quest for an opening batter alongside the veteran Virat Kohli, who has been retained for the 18th time by RCB.
Rahul might be travelling back to his franchise, for which he made his debut back in 2013. They can have him with the second-biggest purse in the mega-auction.
